Guest Opinion: Why men should attend female leadership events
Greater Des Moines is lucky to be home to many Chamber of Commerce programs that make our community stronger.One that I look forward to is LEAP, the Leadership Education and Advancement Pipeline. This year-round speaker series hosted by the Des Moines Downtown Chamber of Commerce champions women and provides them with resources for advancing their careers.
LEAP is just one of many events in our region focused on topics surrounding gender equality and empowering women in our state. Altoona’s Women of Vision series is “designed to inspire, motivate, encourage and support women in our business community.” On the other side of the metro, West Des Moines has Elevate, launched to “consolidate and celebrate the power of women in leadership through professional, familial and community roles.”
These chamber events are all geared toward advancing women in our community — and it is well established that more women in leadership positions benefits all of us.However, I have observed that not many men attend these events. And I believe that it is important for women and men to engage in these topics together.
Regardless of your gender, I believe that we can all benefit from these events. For example, here are just three of the many things I’ve learned from the LEAP events I attended — and three reasons I hope you may consider joining in on the conversation.
1. Topics discussed affect our entire community’s ability to thrive.
Speakers address income disparity between men and women, and how this disparity affects our households and our city, in addition to individual women.
According to the Iowa Data Center Report, the median income for women in Iowa who worked full time, year-round in the past 12 months during 2014 was $36,917. In contrast, the median income for men in the state was $47,788. That’s a difference of $10,871 per year of income that could boost household budgets or college savings, or seed new businesses.
If we view income disparity as a community issue, one that requires a collective undertaking, then it seems only right that men and women tackle this side by side.
2. Each session’s content is engaging and thought-provoking.
Every month, I hear meaningful information from local business and thought leaders. For example, Janette Larkin of Business Publications Corp. presented the findings of a 2016 study from the Harvard Business Review. That study reported that “firms with more women in the C-suite are more profitable.”
With studies like this, we confirm that placing women in leadership positions both benefits the individuals and creates greater profitability for the organization as a whole. Had I not attended, I may never have learned of this study.
3. Listening and learning are the first steps to promoting positive change.
The challenges of gender and income inequality can seem impossibly large to solve. But the more we know — the more we listen — the more we can facilitate productive conversations in our homes and businesses. And together, we might actually change the systems that have brought us to this point.
Regardless of your gender, I hope to see you at one of these events soon.
Dr. Chris LoRang is a chiropractic physician and owns Capital Chiropractic & Rehabilitation Center in Des Moines’ East Village. He serves as board president for the Historic East Village Neighborhood Association and is a board member for City Sounds: Des Moines’ Public Piano Project. Chris lives in Des Moines along with his wife, Abbie Sawyer. They are expecting their first child later this year, gender unknown.
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